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400 Nevada soldiers return home from Afghanistan
Lt. Col. John S. Cunningham was presented with a Bronze Star on Wednesday during a ceremony at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, where the Army Guard’s 1/221st Cavalry Squadron was honored after serving for one year on a security mission in Afghanistan.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010 | 5:10 p.m.
More than 400 soldiers returned to Las Vegas today and were reunited with friends and family after a one-year deployment to Afghanistan.
Hundreds at the Mandalay Bay ceremony applauded as bag pipers kicked off the ceremony, welcoming the Nevada Army National Guard’s 1-221st Cavalry Squadron back home. The group was deployed in April 2009 on a security mission to help with reconstruction in Afghanistan.
Some soldiers wore black cowboy hats and spurs on their boots as a tradition to represent their squadron, said William Burks, Nevada’s adjutant general.
Family members dressed for the occasion, wearing “welcome home” T-shirts and carrying small American flags. One small boy wore a T-shirt that read, “Daddy is my hero.”
Renee West, president of Mandalay Bay, said like most of the families in the audience, she would get excited when her father returned home from active duty.
“As you return, you’ll find we need you here,” West said. “(We are) united for the troops but are divided by social and political views. You’ve been in our thoughts and prayers.”
Every soldier who was deployed came back safely, Lt. Col. Eric Wishart said.
Gov. Jim Gibbons and Rep. Dina Titus thanked the soldiers for their service.
“Today, we welcome home Nevada’s heroes,” Titus said. “If there’s anything we can do to return the service in some way, don’t hesitate to call us.”
Representatives for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Rep. Shelley Berkley, Sen. John Ensign and Rep. Dean Heller read letters to the soldiers.
Families rushed to the floor to greet loved ones after the ceremony ended with a prayer.
Maj. Mike Glynn rushed to his two daughters, Riley, 4, and Hailey, 7, wrapping them in his arms. His wife, Auri, said she was shaking with excitement before the ceremony.
Riley and Hailey were all smiles as they gripped their dad’s uniform and hugged him.
“They’ve been excited for days,” Auri Glynn said. “(Riley) woke up the other day and wanted to go back to sleep right away so she could wake up and get to see her daddy today.”
The ceremony also honored Sgt. Helman Roman with a Purple Heart and Lt. Col. John Cunningham with a Bronze Star. Tammy Richardson, leader of the Army Guard’s Family Readiness Group, was presented with a Nevada Commendation Medal for her role in helping families cope with the deployment.
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I love to see the soldiers return home to thier families and friends , gives me hope and a light at the end of the tunnel. Welcome Home Ladies and Gentlemen. Ok folks go ahead turn this one into your political bull#$%#. Oh, and don't forget to insult each other too.
welcome home, natl guard. lets hope this is the last deployment you ever have to return from.
thank you.
please don't let obama voters and their hatred of you get you down.
when you have a nutbar from the "code pink" organization trying to make a pathetic citizen's arrest of karl rove, calling him and these brave men and women "criminals"...i'd say my comment is valid.
liberals bask in the freedom these soldiers provide and then stab them in the back.
@Stevem First of all, I want to apologize for calling you a name. It's not my style. I just think it's inappropriate to politicize this story. I strongly disagree with your comment. Hopefully we can have a friendly exchange of ideas when the news story warrants, so I'll reserve comment on that front.
Welcome back, troops. Thanks for your service. I'm glad you guys made it back home safely.
Great news with all the other junk going on Nevada, its a welcome (literally) change to see these soilders back with loved ones. Im not for the war, no was I for the reasons (we did the right thing just for wrong reasons) but I say thank you for fighting for us and WELCOME HOME SOLIDERS and thats all we should be saying weather we are a tea-bagger, tree-hugger, repubutlicker, or dumbacrat remember that!!!
Yes "stevem," you really shouldn't try to politicize this story, it does a disservice to the troops. By the way, I served at the same armory as these brave men and women of the Cav (I was a Sgt with the 422nd ITSB) from 2003 until 2008 when I was honorably discharged, and I was active duty Navy serving overseas from 1993 to 1998 before that...now that's 15 years of continuous military service in two branches, and guess what? I voted for Obama, and I'm proud to have done so. Remember, not everyone thinks like you do or condemns others for having a different opinion. So do yourself and our troops a service and think before you post. Have a good evening, sir.
when the code pink people stop making it political, i will stop making it political.
fair enough?
Stevem just can't help himself every since Obama, a black man was elected president...he has been obsessed with proving to himself and those like him that he is indeed just like he's always believed... superior... greater... this obsession follows him day and night he must repeat it over and over to himself so he can continue to feel greater than THEM. I say whatever helps a man feel like a man... go for it... no one lives forever might as well make yourself happy anyway you can.
Welcome home brothers-in-arms, job well done.
400 hereos,welcome home
We all welcome them home. they served their country, managed to stay alive, and are heroes of the highest order!! We also pause to remember the heroes who have given the ultimate sacrifice as well, as each and every one of these four hundred would be the first to recognize as well. Job well done everyone! We are sorry that you have come home to such societal hardships, however quality people such as these will do nothing but enhance to the highest order, the availability of core talent and dependability to our available work force. Lets give them a good job with a good wage employers...
Hurrah!
These are the moments to remember, happy times embracing our once deployed loved ones, home again into the arms of family and friends. Thanks be to God, they all returned none worse for the wear, but just the same, after the dismount of a real world commitment it is always good to relax and reacquaint yourselves with the home range, things may have changed some and if you need help ask, it is there for the asking.
Take it slow, try to understand it; you have just accomplished a significant milestone in your life that you will reflect upon for years to come, your achievements make our country/ the state proud of every member of the Nevada Army National Guard's 1-221st Cavalry Squadron.
Welcome Home Soldiers